A report released yesterday by the Japanese Foreign Ministry claims that the crew of the Marie Celeste, a merchant ship found abandoned off the coast of Portugal in 1872, were likely abducted by North Korean agents. The investigation was prompted by a student at Tokyo University who read about the ship in a textbook, then wrote to the Ministry every day demanding action.
The report acknowledges that the incident took place over eighty years before Korea was divided into North and South, and that sailing from Korea to Portugal to kidnap a load of sailors seems like more effort than it's worth. However, it states that 'In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, we must conclude that the crew of the Marie Celeste were abducted and forced to train North Korean agents in English and seamanship.'
The Ministry is currently investigating claims by the same student that North Korean agents were responsible for the sinking of the Titanic, Japan's defeat on penalties by Paraguay in last year's World Cup, and the death of Bambi's mother.
